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A newly released survey of Long Island residents is raising alarm after a surprising share of respondents expressed skepticism about the need for Holocaust education in public schools.
The poll, conducted by national research firm McLaughlin Associates, surveyed roughly 400 residents in Nassau and Suffolk counties — the suburban area of Long Island, New York, just east of New York City. Nearly one-third of respondents said they do not believe the Holocaust should be a mandatory part of school curricula and that Jewish people should “move on,” according to The New York Post.
The survey also found that about 15% of participants either believe the Nazi genocide has been “exaggerated” or chose not to answer, the outlet reported.
The survey’s release coincided with the anniversary of the liberation of the Buchenwald concentration camp.
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Child survivors stand behind a barbed wire fence at the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in southern Poland on Jan. 27, 1945, the day the Red Army liberated the camp. (Alexander Vorontsov/Galerie Bilderwelt/Getty Images)
Steven Krieger, a Long Island real estate developer who helped fund the study, said the findings highlight a broader need for awareness, according to The New York Post.
“The survey is intended to provide a roadmap for all of us — regardless of faith or ethnicity — because indifference or ignorance of how the Holocaust occurred threatens everyone,” Krieger said.
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A memorial stone with the inscription “Buchenwald” stands near the gate of the former Buchenwald concentration camp in Weimar, Thuringia, on April 12, 2026, marking the 81st anniversary of the camp’s liberation. (Martin Schutt/picture alliance)
Gloria Sesso, president of the Long Island Council for Social Studies, called the results “inconceivable,” particularly the suggestion that Jews should “move on,” The New York Post reported.
She added that dismissing the Holocaust’s relevance in education is “irresponsible” and said the findings should serve as a wake-up call for teachers.
The findings come amid ongoing concerns about antisemitic incidents.
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Commemorative plaques are displayed on a railtrack leading to the former Auschwitz-Birkenau Nazi death camp site in Brzezinka near Oswiecim, Poland, during the annual March of the Living on April 14, 2026, honoring Holocaust victims. (Wojtek Radwanski/AFP)
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Although Jews account for about 12% of New York City’s population, they are the targets of most hate crimes, according to the American Jewish Committee.
Between January and March, the NYPD recorded 143 hate crimes across the city, with 55% —78 incidents — directed against Jewish individuals or communities.
In January alone, 31 anti-Jewish incidents were reported, marking an 182% increase compared to the same time the previous year.
McLaughlin Associates could not be immediately reached by Digital for comment.
